egbert Posted 23 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 23 September , 2007 Superimposing 2 pictures, I tend to shift to accept JMc's observation. I will add two superscanned pictures. One lets me doubt the "Prussian long service medal 3rd class" theory because I see a silverish metal corona embracing the inner metal; this does not match JMc's picture. But in contrast the other picture is a strong evidence of the Prussian long service medal 3rd class as I may very well recognize a crown....what do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 23 September , 2007 Share Posted 23 September , 2007 The upper medal looks like that in post 841 The lower medal looks like that in posts 844 and 848, which look similar. This is not medal size nor ribbon colour, just the apparent motif on the medal. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 16 October , 2007 Share Posted 16 October , 2007 Egbert. A year or so ago I did a summary of this thread (as it stood at the time) and loaded it as a PDF file onto ESnips as it was too big to go on here. I have now deleted it from ESnips just in case someone takes the information. I think everyone who would have noticed my post with the link to the PDF file (and who wanted to read it) will have done so by now. I can always add it back again if required. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMcCulloch Posted 18 October , 2007 Share Posted 18 October , 2007 By the way, here is an image of the medal we are speaking of: http://www.omsa.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=649 Note that this dates the picture of your Grandfather to Fall 1913-Fall, 1914. NCOs and officers often wore their medals "im feld", but as the war continued they wore them only in rear areas as they tended to attract unwanted snipers' attention-as well as fall off, get lost etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
privatewickham Posted 27 October , 2007 Share Posted 27 October , 2007 I am new to this forum and feel likem somewhat of an ameture. I only recently discovered that my great grandad, Frank died of his wounds while serving with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (1st/6th). This thread has moved me beyond words! To see a piece of social history unravel in such a tantalsing way is touching to say the least. The reason that I started looking on here is because I wanted to start researching our family history after the birth of my son. My Mrs is German, and I know that her great Grandad (Willy Aikens) fought in WW1 and was from Polsen. The picture of the shoe moved me to tears, literally. Thank you for sharing this wonderfull story with us, which can be be passed on to our children as testiment to the horrors of war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 29 October , 2007 Author Share Posted 29 October , 2007 Thanks guys and also thanks to Jan Vanc. (AOK4), who visited Gottfried's grave in Merville 14 Oct 2007 with the Belgium WFA wing and lectured about my Grandfather in conjunction with Unternehmen Georgette. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 25 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 25 November , 2007 If you like to know how the personal watch of Gottfried's wive Else looked like, she most likely is wearing here check out what I found today in the family inheritance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 25 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 25 November , 2007 This is her watch she most likely wore in 1912 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 25 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 25 November , 2007 Just in time for Christmas 2007: her watch dates from Christmas 1906 (Weihnachten 1906) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 25 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 25 November , 2007 12 o'clock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 29 November , 2007 Share Posted 29 November , 2007 Egbert, how exciting. The pictures are wonderful. I was so glad to see something else appearing from this truly moving account....and, just in time for Christmas - over 100 years ago. wow..... poignant to say the very least. midnight or mid-day....... Susan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 30 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2007 Yes thats very true Susan. Here is the other precious item I found - Gottfried's ring, I believe its cheap metal, so no money value but of immense emotional value for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 30 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2007 Upon the inquiry of my Grandmother where her husbands (kia) marriage ring may be, Gottfried's best buddy, Sergeant Major Woellerth answered in a response letter: (excerpt) "....I just asked the stretcher bearer Corporal Kluth. He states that he could not remove the marriage ring, as the finger was heavily swollen. Now the third issue: I have already written to you earlier, that some few things have been found later on the luggage van....." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 30 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2007 So today nobody knows anything about the ring. As it is not the marriage ring it might have taken from the corpse or it was stored on the luggage van, which I doubt. Why should Grandfather not wear his initialized ring at all times....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 30 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2007 ....and why was the ring cut? Because they removed it from the corpse or because Gottfried cut it by himself earlier? The answer will stay an enigma forever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 30 November , 2007 Share Posted 30 November , 2007 Oh Egbert, it is a lovely piece to have. Does it fit you at all? I wonder if it was an engagement item or some other commemorative ring given to him (perhaps when he reached a certain birthday). Have you scrutinised photos of your Grandad. I wonder if you will see the ring somewhere on his hand on one of them. Strange that it was cut, then again if he had it when he was younger, maybe with growth he just was no longer able to wear it as it got too small for his finger(s) - and maybe he did cut it. Strange. But it is a lovely thing to have. Whatever the metal. Maybe even it was "made" whilst he was away at the war? Thanks for sharing Egbert. Lovely as always.... Susan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 3 December , 2007 Share Posted 3 December , 2007 Egbert, I wonder if he gave the ring to your grandmother as a momento whilst he was away? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Rice Posted 7 December , 2007 Share Posted 7 December , 2007 Egbert, The photo's of the Ring and also the watches are wonderful. Please,lots more photo's before Xmas John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RedKev Posted 31 January , 2008 Share Posted 31 January , 2008 Egbert Thank you so much. This is my first post on this forum and this was the first long thread I have followed. I am still at work reading this two hours after I should have gone home. It was brilliant, moving and a joy. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intrados Posted 22 February , 2008 Share Posted 22 February , 2008 Hi Egbert, I just want to add my comments on your story . It was a fantastic journey I have just had reading through the posts and I personally found it very inspiring regarding my own search from odd relics and photos I have from my own grandfathers , I thank you for bringing this to the forum for people like me to enjoy and bring alive the memories of all those from this era from all nations ! Danke sehr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 22 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 22 February , 2008 Thanks to the last posters for their kind words. By the reactions, I feel justified to have published the war story of my Grandfather -despite attacks from a distant family wing. My Grandfather and all the other countless lost souls deserve to be remembered- in privacy AND in public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Rice Posted 21 March , 2008 Share Posted 21 March , 2008 Hello Egbert, Now that you have had a rest, can we have some more of grandpa chest Please please John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 21 March , 2008 Author Share Posted 21 March , 2008 Well John, the trunk is locked again, back in the corner of oblivion; only occasionally the famous messenger dog and myself find our way to yesterday knowing the precious saga it contains. After telling what shall be told in public, I must realize that my kids are not interested in it -may be some family member who even is not born today reveils the treasures in another 90 years and tells it to another internet audience..... It's good that I am the last uniformed family member in a row that started 2 generations ago. It's time for other families to serve.....we have done our share see 3 uniformed weddings: Grandfather, father and me - the last Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete1052 Posted 21 March , 2008 Share Posted 21 March , 2008 What is the cord on your father's right shoulder? It doesn't look like a Schutzenschnur like your grandfather is wearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 21 March , 2008 Author Share Posted 21 March , 2008 "Fangschnur" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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